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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09376	A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1607 (1607)	STC 19677.5; ESTC S2273	415,205	614

publikely expounded whereas in the meane time the Bible lieth neglected or little regarded wherein wee may see the notable worke of the Diuell and his malice toward the Church of God for the Schooles of the Prophets are the fountaines of learning Now when as Sathan by this meanes doth steale away from them the study of the Bible and in stead thereof foisteth in corrupt humane writings hereby hee poisons the fountaines to the danger of infecting the whole Church And as this is common in the places of Poperie so likewise some fault is this way committed among vs that be Protestants for many in their priuate studies take little paines in the booke of God but apply themselues wholly to the writings of mē as Counsels Fathers Schoole-men and other Expositors and in the handling of the Scripture they glory more to proue a point of doctrine by multiplicitie of humane testimonies then by the written word But the truth is thus to doe is to preferre the handmaide before the Mistris and as for the opening expounding of Scripture by other Writers it is no such point of deepe learning a man of ordinary capacity and diligence may easily deliuer what others haue done before him But to open the Scripture soundly and purely as it ought to be is of another nature then these mē take it and hereto the sound study of the Text itselfe will proue the best helpe as they will confesse who haue tried most of all And though the best mens works be but base stuffe to the pure word of God yet the writings of holy mē must not be contemned but must be read and regarded in their place for our furnishing and enabling to the study of the Scriptures and for the helping of our knowledge and iudgement in the word of God they that hold or practice the contrary knowe not what helpes they be and what light they yeeld to many dark places of Scripture But stil aboue and beyond before and after all the word of God must be eaten vp of vs and studied with all diligence Secondly in that the Author of this Epistle noteth their particular sentence and by consequence gathereth this meditation out of it that they sought a Country Hereby all men are taught to exercise themselues in hearing and reading all the places of the Bible euen the Histories of men therein and out of the words to gather godly meditations So Paul saith to the Colossians Let the word of God dwel plentiously in you Coloss. 3.16 The Prophet Dauid also noteth it for the property of a good man to meditate in the Law of God day and night And the practice of the blessed virgine Mary is registred as an example for vs to followe that she kept all the sayings of Christ in her heart But pitty it is to see how reading in the word of God is laid aside for it is so little practiced that men now-adaies will not be at charge to buy a Bible for bookes of Statutes men will not onely haue them in their houses but at their fingers ends but Bible they haue none and if they haue it lieth on the deske or table and they reade it not and if sometime they reade yet they neuer meditate thereon as wee are taught in this place Further whereas the holy Ghost reasoneth thus vpon these examples Abraham Isaac and Iacob were strangers and Pilgrimes therefore they sought a Country Herein hee teacheth vs this speciall point to wit that a doctrine though it be not expressed in plaine words in the Bible yet being gathered thence by right and iust consequence is no lesse to be beleeued and receiued then that which is plainly expressed and therefore they are farre to blame which mislike these tearmes in Diuinitie person nature sacrament consubstantiall trinitie c. because they are not expressed in the word But they may with good conscience and much profit be retained because though not literally yet in sense and meaning they are contained in the Scripture and may by iust consequence be gathered thence And wee denie not transubstantion because the word is not in the Scripture but because the matter is not there nor can by necessary consequence be deriued from it but rather the contrary Againe many refuse these doctrines the proceeding of the holy Ghost from the sonne and the baptizing of children because they are not expressed in the Scripture But hence we answer that though they be not expresly set downe in so many wordes yet by iust consequence they may be soundly gathered out of Scripture and therefore are true doctrines no lesse to be beleeued then that which is plainly expressed And thus much of the first part of the reason And if they had beene mindfull of that Countrey whence they came they had leisure to haue returned But now they desire a better that is an heauenly Wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God For he hath prepared for them a Citie Here the holy Ghost proueth the second part of the former argument by 2. reasons the first is contained in the 15. verse and the beginning of the 16. It is taken from the distinction of Countries and may be framed thus They either sought an earthly Country or an heauēly Country But not an earthly Therfore they sought an heauenly Country The first part of this reason is cleare of it selfe The second part is in the 15. verse from whence followeth the conclusion in the beginning of the 16. verse To come to the first part in these words And if they had beene mindefull of the countrey c. That is if they had regarded or thought vpon Mesopotamia or Caldea from whence they came and where they were borne with any desire to haue enioyed the profits or pleasure therof they had leisure enough to haue returned backe thither by reason of the length of their daies which they liued in the Land whither God called them Here obserue two points First that they are not mindefull of or as the word imports they remember not the countrey from whence they came but when God gaue them commandement to depart thence and not to returne to Mesopotamia againe after this commandement giuen they came forth and did forget their owne countrey Whence we learne that howsoeuer vsually Forgetfulnesse be a vice yet some kinde of forgetfulnesse is a notable vertue namely to forget the things that displease God and which hee would not haue vs to thinke vpon Psal. 45.9 The Church is commanded to forget her own people and her fathers house That is her owne will and desires shee must neuer thinke thereof nor of any other thing whereby God is displeased vnlesse it be with dislike This condemneth the practice of many aged persons in these daies who delight themselues among the yonger sort to tell of the bad practices of their youth in wantonnesse contentions and breaking Gods commandements But in so doing they sinne grieuously for a man must not

it And this is the name which commonly is gotten in the world because men first seeke not a good name with God but that good name which is obtained by faith will stand continue all a mans life and at his death leaue behind it a sweet perfume abideth for euer in the world to come Secondly this maintaines the excellencie of our religion against Atheists and all enemies of it which esteeme call it a base contēptible religion of which cā folow no credit nor estimation But see their malice is here controlled our religion is a most glorious excellent professiō it is the high way to get true credit estimation it makes a mā honorable in the sight of God men for by it our Elders obtained a good report which continueth fresh to this day In the fourth place Were they wel reported of for their faith therefore their faith was not hid in their hearts but manifested in their liues for the world cannot see nor commend them for their faith but for the practice of faith Here it is plaine that men must not be content to keep their faith close in their hearts but they must exercise the fruites of it in the world and then both these together will make a man truly commendable Thy faith approues thee vnto God but the practice of it is that that honours thee and thy profession in the world Lastly in that faith was that which approued our Elders vnto God here is a storehouse of comforts for all true professors of this faith Art thou poore thy faith doth make thee rich in God Art thou simple and of meane reach thy faith is true wisedome before God Art thou any way deformed faith makes thee beautifull vnto God Art thou weake feeble or sicke thy faith doth make thee strong in God Art thou base in the world and of no account thy faith makes thee honourable in the sight of God and his holy Angels Thus thou art poore and foolish and deformed and sicke and base in the world but marke how God hath recompensed thee he hath giuen thee faith whereby thou art rich and beautifull wise and strong honorable in heauen with God say therfore with Dauid the lot is fallen vnto thee in a faire ground and thou hast a goodly heritage Namely thy faith which thou wouldest not change for all the glory of the world Faith is the true riches the sound strength the lasting beauty the true wisedome the true honour of a Christian man therefore take thy selfe 10000. times more beholden vnto God then if hee had giuen thee the vncertaine riches the crafty and yet foolish wisedome the decaying strength the vanishing beauty the transitory honour of this world If thou hast true faith thou art sure to haue many enemies 1. The wicked of the world will neuer brooke thee but openly or priuily hate hurt thee Thē the diuel is thy sworn enemie how canst thou deale with so powerfull an enemie and all his wicked instruments Here is sound comfort if thou hast faith thou hast God thy friend labour therefore for this true faith and then care not for the diuel and all his power Night and day sleeping and waking by land sea thou art safe and secure the diuel cannot hurt thee thy faith makes thee accepted of God and brings thee within the compasse of his protection That same little sparke of faith which is in so narrow a compasse as thy heart is stronger thē all the power and malice of sathan As for the malice which his instruments wicked mē in this world shew against thee in mocks and abuses much lesse care for them for their nature is to speake euill and cannot doe otherwise looke not therfore at them but looke vp into heauen by the eye of thy soule where thy faith makes thee beloued and approued of God himselfe and honourable in the presence of his holy Angels And thus much of the second action or effect of faith the third followeth VERSE 3. Through faith wee vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God so that the things which wee see are not made of things which did appeare IN this verse is contained the third action or effect of faith namely this Faith makes a man to vnderstand things beyond the reach of mans reason This third effect is set out in these words by the instance of a notable exsample namely of the Creation of the world 1. By the word of God 2. Of nothing both which that wee may the better vnderstand let vs consider of the words as they lye in order Through faith 1. By faith in this place as I take it is not meant that sauing faith which iustifies a man before God but a generall faith wherby a man imbraceth Christian religion or wherby a man beleeueth the word of God in the doctrine of the law and the Gospel to be true My reason is because a man that neuer had iustifying and sauing faith and is no member of the catholike Church nor childe of God may haue this gift To beleeue that God by his word made the world of nothing Therefore I thinke that this is an action of a generall and not of sauing faith We vnderstand That is Whereas there are many things beyond the reach of reason and therefore by reason cannot be apprehended or vnderstood yet by vertue of this faith a man is brought to vnderstand them and to beleeue them to be true Now then whereas generall faith brings vnderstanding of many things which reason cannot reach vnto here such as be students in humane learning which labour to attain to the deepenesse and perfection of it are taught with their trauell in humane studies to haue care to ioyne faith and knowledge of religion For there are many things which our vnderstanding by reason cannot conceiue and many truthes which Philosophy cannot reach vnto nay many also which it denies but faith is able to perswade and demonstrate them all and it inlightens the mind and rectifies the iudgement when as Philosophy hath left the mind in darknesse and the iudgement in error Now in whom sound knowledge in Philosophy and this faith in religion do concurre together he is a man of a most rectified iudgement and of a deepe reach in the greatest matters but separate faith from humane knowledge and he will stumble at many truthes though hee had the wit of all the Philosophers in his owne head For exsample that God should make the world of nothing that it should haue beginning ending that God should be eternall and not the world that mans soul being created is immortal These many other truths reasō cānot see therfore Philosophy wil not admit but ioin faith to it then that crooked vnderstanding is rectified made to beleeue it It is therfore good counsel to ioyn both these together Religion hinders not humane learning as some fondly thinke but is

world should be destroyed seemed not possible to be because it neuer had beene Secondly it seemed not likely that Gods mercy should be so wholly swallowed vp of his iustice Thirdly they must liue in the Arke as in a close prison without comfort of light or fresh aire and amongst beasts of all sorts and that for a long time hee knew not how long Now reason would tel him he had better die with men then liue with beasts and better die a free man and at liberty then liue a prisoner and better die with company then liue alone And that if God had purposed to saue him hee could haue vsed other meanes and more easie more direct more safe then this that therefore his deliuerance was to be doubted of And lastly reason would say I may make my selfe a gazing and mocking stocke to the world for 120. yeeres and it may be then Gods purpose will be altred no floud will come or if it come I go into the Arke and it chance to breake against the mountaines so that I perish with the rest then am I worst of all who perish notwithstanding all my labour therefore I had better let it alone and take my venture with the rest of the world These doubtlesse and many such naturall considerations came into his minde and stood vp as so many impediments of his faith But behold the power of true faith in the heart of a holy man It ouergoeth all doubts it breaketh through all difficulties to obay the will word of God Yea it g●ues a man wings with which to flie ouer all carnall obiections Thus we see it here in Nooh and afterward shall as cleerely see it in Abraham and other holy men The vse of this doctrine discouereth the weaknesse of many mēs faith for if the doctrine of the Gospel go currāt with our natural affectiōs or seem plausible to our natures we do formally obay it But if it crosse our affections or goe beyond our reason or controll our naturall dispositions then wee spurne against it we call it into question we are offended at it and denie our obedience Here wants the faith of Noah which caried him beyond the compasse of nature and reach of reason and made him beleeue and do that which neither nature could allowe nor reason like of which would be displeasing to his naturall affections Let vs therfore learne to practice true faith by beleeuing forthwith what God shal say vnto vs without asking aduise or hearing the obiections of flesh and bloud God threatned in times past the ouerthrow of the great Monarchies of the Assyrians Chaldeans Persians Grecians Romanes reason did make doubts how it could be but faith beleeued it and it is done God in later times threatned the fall of Abbies and dispersing of Monkes for their wickednesse It seemed impossible to reason yet faith in some beleeued it and it came to passe God now threatneth the ruine of Babylon and the full reuelation of Antichrist and the ouerthrow of the new found Hierarchie of the Iesuites which glitter so in worldly glorie and in outward strength this seemes hard to bring to passe but let faith beleeue it for it is Gods word and shall be fulfilled in his season God hath said that our bodies shall rise againe euen these bodies which are burned to ashes or eaten of beasts or fishes or turned to dust in the earth This is a wonder to nature an amazement to reason but faith will beleeue it and shall finde it true for God hath saide it God saith Christ is in the Sacrament truly and really present to the soule of a Christian. Carnall senses denie this and naturall reason knoweth not how but aske with the Capernaits How can he giue vs his flesh to eate But faith beleeueth it and knoweth how though to outward sense it cannot be expressed And it was a holy and diuine speech vsed by holy Martyrs who being asked how Christ could be eaten in the Sacrament and not with the teeth answered My faith knoweth how God saith Wicked men though they flourish neuer so are miserable and good men are blessed aboue all other Reason and worldly experience say this is false but true faith belieues it and findes it true for neuer did any childe of God desire to change his estate with the mightiest or wealthiest wicked man in the world God saith He that will follow Christ must denie himselfe and his owne desires and follow Christ in bitternes and affliction Nature saith This is a hard lesson who can beare it But faith beleeues it yeelds to it and endeuours the practice of it because God hath so cōmaunded Such is the power and excellency of true faith Fourthly and lastly out of this action and obedience of Noah marke a speciall lesson God had reuealed to him that he would saue him and his family and assured him hee should not perish Yet for all this he makes an Arke wherevpon it followeth that Noah though he knew God would saue him yet was perswaded he must vse the meanes or else should not be saued He might haue said to himselfe God hath said and bound himselfe by couenant he will saue me now if I make not the Arke yet his word is his word and he will stand to it His will cannot be altred though I be false he will be true though I doe not that I should doe yet he will do what belongs to him therefore I will spare my labour and cost of making the Arke especially seeing it is a matter of so much mockerie and so ridiculous to reason But Noah is of another minde he will not seuer Gods word from his meanes he dependeth on Gods word for his safety but not on his bare word without the meanes Whence we learne that though a man be certaine of his saluation yet he is to vse the meanes of saluation and that not onely though he be certaine in the certainty of faith but though hee could be assured from God himselfe by immediate reuelation For if God should say to a man by his name thou shalt be saued It is no more then here was said to Noah for his deliuerance For to him said God I will destroy all flesh but with thee I will make my couenant and thou shalt be deliuered yet for all that Noah iudgeth that if he vse not the meanes if he make not an Arke he is to looke for no deliuerance this was Noahs diuinitie Contrary both to the diuinitie and practice of some in this age who say If I shall be saued I may liue as I list and though I liue as I list yet if in the end I can say Lord haue mercie on me I am safe enough But Noah would not trust his body on such conditions though they be so presumptuous as to trust their soules Let such men be assured God in his decree hath tied the end and the meanes together Let not therfore man separate what God

friends or childrens bodies cast into the earth to feede wormes burnt by fire or eaten by fishes reason saith they are gone they can neuer be againe We haue Gods word and assured promise The dead shall rise with their bodies shall they rise Esay Wee must therefore beleeue it if we will be of the faith of Sarah God said to her Age and barronnesse shall haue a childe she beleeued it He saith to vs Dust and rottennesse shall liue againe nay hee hath often said it and shall not our faith acknowledge the voice of our God and beleeue it as she did But let vs come to personall promises as hers was for this is generall God hath promised grace and pardon to euery penitent and beleeuing soule yet no man is partaker of the sweetnesse hereof without the bitternesse of many temptations to the contrary giuing him occasions of doubting and often euen of despairing of Gods fauour What must a man doe in this case euen beleeue though he feele no reason why to beleeue and hope aboue hope Such was Abrahams and Sarahs faith And for it as they were registred in the Storie of Genesis so both here and in the Romanes Chap. 4. remembred againe and commended for it Now suppose that thou after thy comming to God by faith repentance fall into temptations of desertion wherein to thy feeling Gods heauy hand wrath hath seized on thee the diuell layeth thy sins to thy charge tels thee thou art a damned wretch for thou wert euer an hypocrite and neuer hadst faith that therfore God is thy enemy In this case wherein in reason or in feeling there is not the least hope of saluation what must thou doe despaire God forbid For that is the downfall into hell No but hope when there is no hope keepe faith when there is no feeling And to strengthen vs herein remember the faith of Iob tried and sifted so as fewe haue beene who though the arrowes of the almighty stucke in him and the venome thereof drunke vp his spirits Iob 6.4 Yet euen then he beleeued and would not giue ouer nor let goe his hold and said Though thou bring me to dust yet will I not forsake thee no though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee So in the furie of temptations when the venome of Gods wrath seemes to drinke vp our spirits then must we beleeue and in the pangs of death when God seemes ready to kill vs then must wee trust in him In such cases is the life of faith to be shewed when reason and feeling say God is a terrible Iudge faith must say he is a mercifull Father In our health and welfare and feeling of Gods fauour this exhortation may seeme tedious but if wee belong to GOD if it be not past already the time is sure to come when this doctrine will bee needefull for the best of vs all Thus we see the excellencie of this womans faith which is the more commended by reason of these two so great hinderances Now follow the effects of her faith which are diuerse some laide downe in this verse and some in the next Receiued strength to conceiue seede And was deliuered of a childe In these words are two effects First by power of her faith shee was inabled to conceiue which afore she did not though there were the same reasons in nature why she should Secondly shee was deliuered of a childe in her olde age and that childe was Isaac who is therefore called the promised seede and the childe of the promise Out of the consideration of these two we may learne diuerse good instructions for seeing they are so neere a-kin in their natures wee will speake of them both ioyntly together First here we may see that nothing is so hard or difficult which God hath promised but faith can compasse it and bring it to performance Christ b●d the blinde see the lame to goe he spake they beleeued and they were healed So here God promiseth a barren olde woman a childe shee beleeueth and loe she conceiueth and brings forth a Sonne The vse of this doctrine is for two sorts of people First many in our Church being ignorant when they are moued to learne religion answere Alas they are simple or not booke-learned or they are dull and heauy witted or they be olde and weake and therefore they can learne nothing or if they doe they cannot remember it But heere is nothing but vaine excuses For they want not wit to learne religion if they haue wit to buy and sell to knowe a faire day from a foule good meate from ill deere from cheape Winter from Sommer If they haue wit to practice the ciuill actions of the world they haue wit enough to conceiue the grounds of religion and to get so much knowledge as may suffice for a ground of that faith which will saue their soules So that they want nothing but grace and diligence to vse the meanes To them therfore here is matter of good aduice Let such a man learne but one promise of God out of the holy Scripture as this Seeke first the Kingdome of God and all things else shall be giuen vnto you Math. 6.33 or this Cast all your care on him for he careth for you 1. Pet. 5.7 or this He that cōmeth vnto me I cast him not away Iohn 6.37 or but this Aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall finde Math. 7. Let him learne but one of these when they haue learned it beleeue it and let their soules daily feede on that faith And they shall see what will followe euen a wonderfull blessing vpon that poore beginning This their faith will so content and please their hearts that it will vrge them forward to get more and will make them both desirous capable of more knowledge and grace and will make them euen hunger and thirst after knowledge and grace whereas he that knoweth no promise nor beleeues it contents himselfe in ignorance and errour And this shall euery one finde that will carefully vse the meanes that God appoints and will begin to learne but one lesson at the first For as olde barren Sarah beleeuing Gods promise conceiues and brings forth So olde simple plaine dull Country-men beleeuing but one promise of Gods word shall conceiue and bring forth daily more and more blessed fruites of knowledge and grace Secondly others who haue made better proceedings in religion doe see their sinnes and doe much bewaile them but they cannot ouercome their corruptions yea many there are to whom their sinnes and inward corruptions are more greeuous and burdensome then all bodily wants or miseries in the world yet see they not how to conquer their corruptions but alas are oftentimes foiled by them to their great discomfort Let these men know the want of faith is the cause hereof for that they doe not sufficiently ruminate and consider the promises of God made in that behalfe nor vse the meanes

steward ouer them for the good disposing of them to the glory of God and the good of his Church alwaies remembring this rule of the Prophet Dauid Psal. 62.10 If riches increase set not thy heart on them He saith not If riches increase refuse thē but set not thy heart on them and thus much of these Questions Now this practice of the Patriarchs is as necessarie for vs in these dayes as euer it was for the cause why we profit little after much hearing of Gods word is this we haue not behaued our selues like Pilgrimes and strangers in this world but the cares of the things of this life haue choaked it vp Math. 13 2● that it could take no ground nor roote in our hearts when we haue heard the word wee remember it not because our hearts and the affections thereof are set on the pleasures and commodities of the worlde Wee therefore must shake off this filthy sinne and learne to behaue our selues like Pilgrimes and strangers not intangling our selues with the things of this life but vsing them as though we vsed them not so as they be no hinderance to the growth of Gods graces in vs. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seeke a Country In the former verse was set downe the constancie of Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iacob in the faith Now in the 14.15 and 16. verses the holy Ghost proceedeth to amplifie and inlarge the commendation of their perseuerance in the faith for the scope of all these verses is to proue that all these particularly were constant in the faith vnto the end The proofe is made by one substantiall reason the summe whereof is this Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iacob sought for their Country which was heauen and therefore they were constant in the true faith But some may thinke that this reason is not substantiall for men may seeke for heauen that neuer had true sauing faith As Balaam desired that his end might be like the end of the righteous Numb 23.10 wherewith no doubt he desired the state of the righteous after this life I answere that this desire of Balaams was not grounded vpon any constant perswasion nor settled resolution but vpon some sodaine motion Secondly though he desired to die the death of the righteous yet he would not liue the life of the righteous hee had no delight to walke in the way to come to that end which they walked in without which no man ordinarily can come to it Yet further some will say Many shall seeke as our Sauiour Christ saith to enter in at the straite gate of the kingdome of heauen and shall not be able Luke 13.24 Therefore to seeke for heauen is no sufficient argument of true faith Answer True indeede many shall seeke to come to heauen and shall not be able to enter because they seek when the dore of mercy is shut and when the day of grace is past for there is a time of grace wherein the Lord will be found Now if men seeke him not in this time though they seeke him neuer so long after yet they shall not finde him But the seeking of these Patriarchs was a sound and constant seeking and so a notable fruite of their true faith For 1. they sought a heauenly Country 2. they sought it in due time not for a brunt but through the whole course of their liues 3. they went the right way denying themselues and their estate in this life as being strangers vpon earth and they were willing to forsake all things in this world to attaine heauen esteeming it as their true dwelling place and their eternall rest Now more particularly the holy Ghost diuideth this reason into two parts handleth the same seuerally 1. he proueth that they sought a Country in this verse and 2. that this Country which they sought was heauen it selfe verse 15.16 For the first part that they sought a Country is thus proued They which say they are Pilgrimes and strangers they shew plainly that they seeke a Country But Abraham Isaac and Iacob saide of themselues that they were Pilgrimes and Strangers Therefore they shew plainly that they seeke a Country The first part of this reason is euident in it selfe for hee that saith hee is a Pilgrime and a stranger in any place sheweth plainly that hee is forth 〈◊〉 his owne Countrey and therefore seeketh one The second part of the reason is assumed from their confession in the end of the former verse and confessed that they were Pilgrimes and strangers on the earth from whence the conclusion is laid downe in this 14. verse that therefore these Patriarchs sought a Country In this reason obserue first that the Author of this Epistle had diligently read the History of Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iacob penned by Moses in the booke of Genesis and in reading had obserued that which they particularly confessed of themselues in many places of that booke namely that they were Pilgrimes and strangers yea also hee gathered from their confession this most heauenly meditation that therefore they were not in their owne Country but sought another These three thinges then the Author of this Epistle vsed about the holy Scriptures Reading meditation and obseruation Whence we learne that all Gods Ministers and those which prepare themselues to the worke of the Ministerie are diligently to reade and study the holy Scriptures and to meditate therein No doubt the Author of this Epistle was an Apostle and had most notable giftes by vertue of his calling and yet hee bestowed paines in viewing the particular words of Abraham Isaac and Iacob recorded by Moses in the booke of Genesis Daniell also was an extraordinarie Prophet yet as wee may reade Daniel 9.2 hee studied with admirable diligence the prophecies of Ieremie and Ezekiel And Timothie though he were a Disciple Acts 16.1 and well learned yet Paul chargeth him to giue attendance to reading to exhortation and to doctrine 1. Timothie 4.13 And Ezekiel is commaunded to eate the role and to fill his belly with it Ezekiel 3.3 And Saint Iohn likewise is commaunded to eate vp the little booke Reuelations 10.9.10 which thing he did all which strongly inforce the former duty shewing that Gods seruant in the Ministerie must as it were eate vp Gods booke that in iudgement and vnderstanding he may digest as farre as is possible the deepe things of God and the hardest places of the Scripture here must he lay his foundation and hither haue recourse frō all other writing whatsoeuer in any matter of doubt This direction is most necessary for the Schooles of the Prophets and for all Gods Ministers and yet notwithstanding the contrary practice beareth sway in the world For in the Popish Vniuersities most of their diuines apply themselues to study the bookes of certaine schoole-men and the Expositors or Commenters thereupon These are applied day and night though they be both many and large and full of needlesse quiddities and oftentimes they be also